Exercising generator

[paullac]

Regarding exercising the generator under a load...

Does the fan on the roof AC count as a load (just the fan, not the compressor)?
I could add the furnace as well.

I live in Minnesota so don't want to run the AC with compressor during the winter months - and can't really run the microwave for an hour.

Thanks!

[klutchdust]

paullac wrote:
Regarding exercising the generator under a load...

Does the fan on the roof AC count as a load (just the fan, not the compressor)?
I could add the furnace as well.

I live in Minnesota so don't want to run the AC with compressor during the winter months - and can't really run the microwave for an hour.

Thanks!

Running the air conditioner on a regular basis helps to keep the seals and other components lubricated and less likely to dry out, crack, and leak refrigerant. Automobiles today incorporate the air conditioner into the defrost cycle for the windshield because the air is drier. No need to be concerned about autos. Too often the scenario is using the air after a long sleep and then realizing the refrigerant is gone. Sound familiar.......

[Cobra21]

What I have done in Minn. for the last 7 years. Add a can of Seafoam, fill with the non ethanol fuel, drive around with the gen. on, roof air running for about an hour. Park it in for the winter and leave it be. You're good for spring.
Brian

[pnichols]

We don't even have to winterize here in North-Central CA.

About once a month I fire up the Onan generator for 30-45 minutes. I load the generator by either running an electric heater or the rooftop air conditioner - both load it about the same.

I leave the rear roof vent and the front roof vent open 24/7 to provide good air circulation from the slightest outside breeze. This prevents the formation of mold in the interior. Both vents have covers over them so they can be left open rain or shine.

[PSW]

I read these posts and I look at where the all the posters live. Man, you folks deal with a lot of issues that are just unknown to those of us in the southern quarter of the US. I winterized last week. This morning it was 31 and this afternoon will see 60s. We will have a few days (at least traditionally we would) where temps don't get above freezing but that is a very small percentage of the year. Still, I have to winterize and exercise my generator monthly for me to feel OK about the situation. And occasionally the temps get stuck in the teen or twenties for a few days.

I have an indoor, non climate controlled RV storage place about three miles from my home so I just go out there the first week or so of every month on a pretty day, back it out, fire up the generator, turn on the AC which has 1500 watt heat strips and go up the road about twenty miles to a good hambooger joint, leave the genset running under load, have a burger, drive back and put it into storage for another month. I like to drive the whole rig once a month and our weather always allows that to happen.

ALSO, I top out the gas tank after each of these journeys (which takes about 4+ gallons of gas for the 40 mile trip) to help prevent condensation from the air space in the tank.

Again, I would really have pause in how to handle the off season if I lived north very far up the continent.

Paul

[JaxDad]

ron.dittmer wrote:
I like the space heater suggestions. Dampness can set in so it is good to dry out the interior anyway.

The biggest source of dampness in a coach is condensation caused by the heat / cool cycles. A heater will only add to that.

If it was a gas or wood heat that was drawing combustion air out of the unit I might go along with it.

[OLYLEN]

Running the Gen under load is not really for the motor, it's for the electric side to warm and drive off moisture. But it doesn't hurt to warm a motor every month to drive off any moisture there as well. Also has a side benefit of topping off the batteries and if the electric heat is used warms the coach too.

LEN

[Matt_Colie]

I have a better idea.

Figure out how to stop the fuel flow if it gas.
**If it is diesel don't bother.
Fog the engine if it is gas.
**If it is diesel, this is tricky as it will start and run on the fogging oil.
Then, leave it alone. Engines only survive just so many thermal cycles before things start breaking. This is why the old lady that drives a short ways to the market and church has so much car trouble.

As a ship's engineer that came ashore so he could have a family, one thing I learned was that the lacquer that was hydroscopic (so you had to warm up windings) when out at the end of WWII. So, that is no excuse (I don't care what the people that sell parts are telling you.)

Matt

[whatimmadoboutm]

It's unnecessary for me to pile on with yet another space heater suggestion, but I will. I give my portable generator a few minutes to warm up without a load, then add the space heater on low (900w, I think), step up to 1500w for a bit, then back down to 900, no load for a cool down, then off.

[KD4UPL]

The fan only is probably no more than an amp or two at most. I would not consider that a load for properly running the generator.
I have my house set up with a transfer switch so I can power it from my RV during a power outage. I sometimes just let the RV gen. run the house for an hour or two so I'm really not wasting any power at all.

[tenbear]

I use an electric heater as a load too, but if your DW has something she wants to cook in the microwave, that makes a good load too. Unfortunately, most things don't require enough cooking time to make a good load.

[ron_dittmer]

I like the space heater suggestions. Dampness can set in so it is good to dry out the interior anyway.

[RoyB]

I too use the portable electric heaters for load test for generators...

Roy Ken

[Mandalay_Parr]

1/2 load for 30 minutes would be fine.

[CloudDriver]

gbopp wrote:
I use a 1500 watt electric heater to put a load on the generator.

Me too.

[gbopp]

I use a 1500 watt electric heater to put a load on the generator.
Or, use two heaters depending on the size of your generator.